Do You Get Mistaken for the Food Police?

[NotQuiteCockney]

Every time I see one of the mums at school, after school, she's on her way back from the corner store with two of her kids, who are eating. And every time, she says something embarassed about their "weekly treat".

We run into her at least twice a week doing this. The "weekly" thing is annoying and weird. But even more annoying is her need to justify her children's food intake to me!

How do I make it stop?

Carry a bounty bar at all times. When you see her coming, give the bits to your kids and instruct them to eat them ostentatiously.

If you don't see her, when you get home, sneak away somewhere quiet and scoff the lot yourself.

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... um ... my kids would think I'd gone mad ... I never actually give them chocolate ... (And DS2 is only 14 months, surely that's too young?)

But I don't care what other people do! And DS1 does scrounge bits of candy off other kids when he can. And I don't stop him.

I gave them tiny sweet oranges in the playground the other day ... does that count?

Why is this a problem? Just smile, nod and move on.

Yeah, maybe I'll do cod's thing.

She seems so sheepish!

The silly thing is, I know she's got a big kid who's like 3 or 4 years older than my eldest, and I know food standards slip (change, whatever) as your kids get bigger, so it's hardly surprising.

I do probably look disapproving, but I think that's just my general facial expression, particularly during the whole collecting-children-and-hustling-them-home process.

It isn't really a problem, I'm just getting tired of having the same conversation every time.

she probably says the same to everyone

is justifying it to herself

You're probably right, mazzystar.

She looks so guilty and funny about it. And so eager to explain.

NQC, if you don't give your child chocolate, people assume that you disapprove of them giving it to their children. I find it manifests itself in different ways. You get the irritating justification mum, who simpers and giggles about "weekly" treats. But you also get scary bollocks I'm doing it my way and you're an idiot who will have a child who goes mental for sweets mum.

Stick with the weekly treat simpering mum - she might turn otherwise

Hmm, but people who know me IRL don't know I don't give my kids chocolates. I'm generally a bit quiet about it, IRL, as people tend to take it as a judgement about what they do. Which it isn't, really. I prefer that my kids eat other things. I prefer that I eat other things, too. I'm at very high risk of diabetes, in the long run, and (try to) choose my diet accordingly.

I have run into both the attitudes you mention - I've had strangers argue with me when I asked them not to give my one-year-old chocolate! Although one of my best friends really really doesn't care what I do and is very mellow about food. Oddly enough, the DD of hers that I borrow eats really well.